August 22 – September 21914

Russian Empire vs. German Empire

The Battle of Tannenburg

Russian forces were mobilized quickly by use of railways (the gauges on the trains were unique to Russia allowing them to only advance to German border)

Russian’s to German forces ratio 16 to 9German could not cover the whole advancing

Russian line Samsonov was in a position to surround the German army

The Russian forces managed to push back the Germans/retreated to Orlau-Frankenau for night

Fighting died down/Germans fortified positions

The Battle 8/22 Day 1

The Russian advance halted at Orlau-Frankenau

Germans retreated again to avoid being surrounded

Samsonov tries to cut off German army and surround them by ordering troop movements NW (intercepted by Germans)

8/24 Day 3

Until now the First Russian Army had marched towards Königsberg uninhibited

The dispatched troops from the Russian Second Army then faced south and turned back to try and close the gap between the two armies

The First army had orders to maintain their advancing course Westward (intercepted by Germans)

The dispatched troops engaged German near Seeburg and Bischofstein, but were turned back

The Second Russian Army’s right flank was exposed to the Germans

The First Russian Army’s advance towards Tannenburg was being slowed by the Germans

Russian’s managed a victory in Allenstein after a small division marched in unopposed

8/26 Day 4

Germans mounted another offensive on the Russian left flank

By night time the Russians were retreatingSamsonov ordered the troops in Allenstein to

move SW to aid in the siege on TannenbergBy the time the soldiers moved into position

the entirety of the Russian Second Army was in the general area of Tannenberg

8/27 Day 5

By the evening on the sixth day both the Russian left and right flanks were retreating

Center troops were still present but were suffering severe supply issues (couldn’t remain offensive)

Samsonov decided to move his entire army SE to the border and try to regroup

He also asked Rennenkampf to ignore his objective and move SW to help

8/28 Day 6

While the Second Russian Army retreated the German armies moved into their path of retreat

Center retreating forces encountered them and realized the situation

Intense German artillery pounded Russian forces

Russian First Army was incapable of coming to aid the Second Army due to German Cavalry

8/29 Day 8

The Russian Second Army was completley destroyed

95,000 captured30,000 killed or wounded 10,000 escapedSamsonov committed suicide on the 29,

AugustGermans Eighth Army - 5,000 dead 7,ooo wounded

8/30 The Final Day